In the last decades, wireless communication systems have become ubiquitous. For example, cellular communication systems, broadband Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN) and wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) have become widespread as a means to provide efficient communication services to e.g. mobile communication units. However, the increased prevalence of wireless communication systems have resulted in a dramatically increased need for air interface resources and the need for efficiently and flexibly utilising the available resource has become essential for the further development of wireless systems.
A method that has been proposed for effectively increasing the utilisation of air interface resource is spectrum sharing wherein a number of independent networks may share the same frequency spectrum. The frequency spectrum may be shared by time division wherein the individual networks are allocated distinct time intervals for transmission.
However, a static allocation of resource to different networks will typically not result in an optimal utilisation of the available resource as the resource requirements for individual networks tend to vary dynamically. However, current approaches for dynamic allocation of a shared air interface resource to individual networks tend to be complex, result in suboptimal resource sharing and suboptimal performance for the individual networks.
Hence, an improved system for resource sharing would be advantageous and in particular a system allowing increased flexibility, improved resource sharing, improved dynamic performance, reduced complexity and/or improved resource sharing would be advantageous.